Letting Go
by Daft Crescendoll
Summary: Four years ago, Inuyasha lost all of his friends at the hands of Naraku. Three years later he met Maeko a young miko. Can she help Inuyasha through his grief and bring him back to life?


**Ok so this is my very first fic to be posted here....be gentle...**.

Inuyasha flopped down onto the soft grass beneath him. The trees surrounding him strained the daylight and made the world seem dark. Inuyasha's mind was also dark, plunged into a mass of sad and angry thoughts of grief and death. He had watched all four of his closest friends die at the evil hands of the half demon Naraku. Naraku had even killed Kikyou though Inuyasha had not been there to witness it happen.

Inuyasha suddenly felt a prickling sensation overcome his amber eyes and hot wet tears soon followed it. He quickly wiped them away with his sleeve. He shouldn't be crying, we're his thoughts, but every time he thought of her it brought tears to his eyes and a pain to his heart.

He had been in love with Kagome. He would have sold his soul to save her, but it was too late now. She was gone forever, and all she had left him was his fading memories of her.

Inuyasha came quickly from his deep thoughts when a twig snapped close by. Adrenaline pumped through his vanes as he listened for the trespasser. But his worry dissipated when he heard Maeko's soft and tender voice call his name.

"Inuyasha! I have some food for you! Come hurry and eat it before it gets cold!"

Inuyasha fought a small smile from forming as he thought about her. Maeko was a young miko that he had rescued from a snake demon a year ago. She had the power to detect jewel shards and she could fight as well as or better even than Kagome or Kikyou. She could also purify shards that had been tainted. She had been helping Inuyasha to find the sacred jewel shards for the past year. They had also become close friends in this time. She had been a great help to Inuyasha in his time of grief.

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha are you ignoring me again?!" came Maeko's exasperated voice once more. She came slowly to where he sat but before she spotted him, he leapt soundlessly up to the top of a tree.

"Inuyasha?" she said timidly. "Inuyasha I know you're there! I don't like this game and you know it! Come out already! Your supper is getting cold!" Inuyasha landed behind her and put his hands over her eyes. She gasped and fell back into his chest.

"Guess who," Said Inuyasha teasingly. Maeko turned around to face him so that his hands were on the back of her head.

"Inuyasha! Don't scare me like that! I hate it when you do that," She tried in vain to be angry with him, but she ended her words with a smile. He still had his hands behind her head and he suddenly drew her face to his chest. His head lay on top of hers and she leaned into his embrace. He cradled her head close to his heart and she could hear it beating quickly.

"I...Inu…yasha?" said Maeko softly. He had never held her before. To be honest, she didn't understand why he would choose her of all people. She was terribly plain in her opinion. Her hair was stringy and she had too many freckles around her nose. Then she began to think about his past. He had told her about his only love, a reincarnated priestess called Kagome. Perhaps, in his grief, Inuyasha had mistaken her for Kagome.

Inuyasha sensed her troubled spirit and lifted her face to meet his eyes. They were soft and tender. Maeko gasped inwardly when she saw them. She had never seen Inuyasha like this before. He was usually so terribly guarded and angry.

"Inuyasha…your eyes…what's the matter?" she asked hesitantly for lack of a better question for the moment. Inuyasha smiled inwardly. She had no idea about his feelings for her. She had been there for him in his most vulnerable hours. Every night of the new moon, she had held him close in his weakened state, when his demon strength deserted him and left his human soul withered and bereft of hope. How could he not love her after so much had passed between them? He would never forget Kagome, but he had found out through Maeko, that it was possible for him to love again. To be happy again.

He was surprised with himself for having let her into his heart so soon. In fact, the moment their eyes had met, something subconscious had opened his heart to her. Only now was he able to see it.

Inuyasha held her again for a moment and then he released her. She stared at him for a moment without a word. Then he suddenly took her hand into his and began to lead her back to the camp. She allowed him to lead her and could do nothing but stare at the back of his silver head in wonder until the camp fire came into sight.

They ate their supper in silence. Inuyasha would not look at Maeko until he said goodnight to her. When their eyes met briefly, Maeko realized why he had refused to look at her. His eyes were still shining with tenderness. She stared at him in wonder while he lay there feigning sleep. She smiled a little before laying down herself and closing her weary eyes.

That night, she dreamt that Inuyasha had left her. He had gone to find a way to bring back his koishii Kagome. Maeko pleaded with him not to leave her, but he would not stay. He told her that he still loved Kagome and that he would never have room in his heart for her. When Maeko awoke, she found her eyes were wet with tears she had cried in her sleep. Did she love Inuyasha? She had always cared for him, and admired him, but did she love him? She felt her inner self nodding in agreement with this claim. She did love him. She realized now that she had always loved him, she just hadn't understood it until now. Sleep took her again as she mulled over these thoughts. Her dreams were exceptionally more pleasant than before.

***

Inuyasha was brooding again by himself one night. He was thinking about his feelings for Maeko. The young miko was extraordinarily beautiful and her nature made her even lovelier to be around. Inuyasha studied his surroundings with interest. He was sitting in the middle of a vast green wonderland of plants and thick trees. The roof of the forest resembled a backlit canopy with holes in it. The moon was bright and full and sent small tendrils of silvery light cascading to the earth.

Suddenly, Inuyasha's silence was disturbed. He wasn't exactly sure he had heard a noise, but he was certain that something was indeed there. His ears twitched slightly as he listened.

A small movement to his right caught his eye, but when he turned quickly to look, it had disappeared. His hand went inadvertently to the hilt of his Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha…" whispered a silvery voice carried on the wind. Inuyasha spun around quickly looking in all directions. When he turned again he came face to face with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. When she smiled at him, he could feel the corners of his mouth curling into a small smile of pleasure. Her kimono seemed spun from the very moonlight that fell lazily around them. Inuyasha's senses were screaming at him, telling him to kill this creature, but his mind thought this an incredulously impertinent thought and dismissed it at once. All he could do was gaze at the alluring stranger.

Maeko was still at the camp preparing supper for her and Inuyasha when she felt her stomach lurch. She knew immediately what it meant. That there was a jewel shard near by, and she didn't hear Inuyasha fighting.

"Inuyasha!" she said worriedly and ran to grab her bow and arrows. She ran swiftly into the woods following the jewel shard.

Inuyasha was slowly falling asleep at the sound of the woman's gentle voice. She was a powerful butterfly demon with a jewel shard in her right temple. It gave her the power to control the minds of others.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered in dulcet tones. "Inuyasha come away with me, where I will make your dreams come true," Inuyasha smiled at her and she touched his cheek. He blacked out and fell to the ground just as Maeko ran into the clearing with an arrow at the ready.

"Inuyasha!" screamed Maeko when she saw Inuyasha lying on the ground. He awoke at the sound of her voice in the back of his mind, and saw her angry face before blacking out again. Maeko then ran into the middle of the clearing and shot the butterfly queen in the head. The surprised youkai screeched loudly and burst, sending pink sparkling butterflies all through the clearing. Blue flickers of electricity from Maeko's arrow twinkled around a small crater where the demon had been standing.

A small sparkling butterfly flew past Maeko's face, illuminating beads of sweat. She blew on it and it disappeared in a wisp of smoke. She then ran over to Inuyasha and kneeled next to his chest. He had a most peaceful look on his face and Maeko could even see a tiny smile forming at his lips. She gasped inwardly and wondered what would have made him smile that way. Inuyasha never smiled.

"Inuyasha…" said Maeko slowly. She touched his face but he didn't respond. Fear welled up inside of her as her heart began to pound with worry. Her heavy breathing filled the silent woods accompanied by her pleading. "Inuyasha! Wake up! Please, you must wake up!" she suddenly burst into tears. "Inuyasha don't leave me! I couldn't do it without you! Inuyasha please, please come back! I need you!" she buried her tearstained face in his red kimono and wept.

She stopped though, suddenly, when she felt his hand rise to her head. "Inuyasha?" she gasped. She lifted her head slowly.

Inuyasha's amber eyes opened slowly. Maeko's face swam before him. A small slow smile then crept across his mouth. Maeko's voice had called him back from his induced sleep. He spoke to Maeko, but his words were slurred and she had to make him repeat it to understand him.

"Inuyasha? What is it?" she asked kindly trying to smile past her worry.

"Maeko,……get the sacred jewel shard," Said Inuyasha in a strained voice. Maeko hadn't been expecting that.

"Oh…ok," She said, almost disappointedly. She reached behind her and purified the jewel before placing it into a small glass phial. It was the same one that the priestess Kagome had used. Kagome had given it to Inuyasha before she died, and he had given it to Maeko when he had learned she was a priestess. That was when he had asked her to accompany him on his quest to become a full demon.

"Inuyasha?" said Maeko slowly. He looked at her lazily. "Are you gonna be ok?" he smiled at her again and passed out. "I guess not,"

She made up her mind that she couldn't carry him by herself. She could hardly lift one of his legs. She was just beginning to formulate an arduous and complicated plan when she sensed a jewel shard and Koga the wolf demon ran into the clearing. He stopped of course, when he saw Maeko and Inuyasha on the ground.

"Hey there Maeko!" he said smiling. "What's the matter with him?" he indicated the small, lazy grin still playing at the corners of Inuyasha's mouth. Maeko laughed inwardly.

"He was hypnotized by a butterfly demon with a jewel shard in her right temple. He won't wake up and I can't figure out a way to get him back to camp," She suddenly looked up at Koga with a smile. "Koga-kun, would you mind helping me to carry him back to camp?" said Maeko sweetly. Koga smiled again.

"Alright. But if he wakes up, he's not gonna feel too happy about it. He's got some serious issues," Maeko smiled.

"You have no idea!" she said stifling a laugh.

"I'm afraid I do actually," Said Koga, also hiding his laughter. He made his way over to where Inuyasha's inert body lay. "So Maeko, why don't you ever come to visit me anymore?" he said suggestively as he easily lifted Inuyasha onto his shoulder.

Maeko often went to visit Koga, or rather, Koga came to her when Inuyasha became too stubborn for her to handle. But she hadn't been coming because Inuyasha was being less stubborn than usual as of late.

Maeko was a bit startled by his bluntness, but she smiled all the same.

"Well, I don't know. I guess I've just been busy with finding the sacred jewel shards," She said as she rose to her feet. It was the best excuse she could think of at the moment. She paused for a moment as she thought about something. "Koga-kun?" she said, stopping.

Koga turned to face her and dropped Inuyasha.

"Yeah? What is it Maeko?" he said worriedly. Maeko smiled inwardly at his worry. He could be sweet when he wanted too and he always showed his feelings. If only Inuyasha could be more open with her, like Koga.

"You've known Inuyasha a lot longer than I have, and you also knew Kagome. Can you tell me…I mean, how much did they love each other?" Maeko suddenly felt nervous about asking this question. Especially about asking _Koga _this question.

Koga's eyes grew wide. This was the last thing he'd expected. He let confusion wash over his face for a moment, then an awkward, nervous expression took it's place. He placed a hand on the back of his neck and averted his eyes from her.

"Well, you see, I uh, well I didn't actually know that much about either of 'em," He began nervously, "I mean, I knew Kagome loved him quite a bit, but I was never sure about how much Inuyasha loved her," he picked Inuyasha up again and began walking with Maeko at his side. "I know he used to get really jealous of me when I would hit on Kagome, but he's got temper problems anyway. And I remember Kagome used to always complain about him still being in love with that dead priestess Kikyou. So…" he shrugged.

Maeko looked at the ground for a moment. She remembered all the times Inuyasha had spoken of Kikyou with the same endearing voice that he used when he spoke of Kagome. It was as if he couldn't choose which one he loved most.

They arrived at the camp after a few moments of awkward silence. Koga dropped Inuyasha, rather roughly, by a tree. Maeko sat down next to the fire.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around Maeko," Koga made to walk away but Maeko grabbed his hand.

"Wait Koga-kun! Don't you want something to eat?" she asked sheepishly. Koga knew she wanted somebody there with her while Inuyasha was out of it.

"Sure I'll stay for a bite," He said smiling. Maeko knew he understood her true motives and smiled thankfully back at him.

***

When Inuyasha passed out after Maeko had slain the butterfly demon, his mind was still fully aware of his surroundings. So when Koga showed up, he sorely wished that he could be awake for it. This is what was going through his mind as he listened to their conversation.

"Hey there Maeko!" he heard Koga say. 'Aw man what's that annoying little twat doing here?' "What's the matter with him?" 'Whadaya mean what's the matter with me?!'

"He was hypnotized by a butterfly demon with a jewel shard in her right temple. He won't wake up and I can't figure out a way to get him back to camp. …Koga kun?" 'Hey what's this _Koga-kun_ crap about?' "Would you mind helping me to carry him back to camp?" 'WHAT?! No way is that dirty wolf touching me!'

"Alright. But if he wakes up, he's not gonna feel too happy about it," 'Damn right I won't!' "He's got some serious issues," 'Hey!'

"You have no idea!" 'Huh? Hey I don't have issues!'

"I'm afraid I do actually," 'What would you know wolf boy?' "So Maeko, why don't you ever come to visit me anymore?" 'Because you're a stupid wolf with an oversized ego.'

"Well, I don't know. I guess I've just been busy with finding the sacred jewel shards," 'Yeah right. It's 'cause she doesn't like you idiot!' "Koga-kun?" 'Would ya stop calling him that already? Huh. You never call me Inuyasha-kun. Hey! Ouch. Why'd that idiot have to drop me?'

"Yeah? What is it Maeko?" 'Please. Don't go pretending that you care, Koga.'

"You've known Inuyasha a lot longer than I have, and you also knew Kagome. Can you tell me…I mean, how much did they love each other?" 'Huh? Maeko? What's all this about? And why are you asking that lazy bum? Why not ask me?'

"Well, you see, I uh, well I didn't actually know that much about either of 'em," 'Yeah. You don't know nothin' about me.' "I mean, I knew Kagome loved him quite a bit, but I was never sure about how much Inuyasha loved her," 'Stop pretending to know everything Koga! I loved Kagome more than anything else in the world! And get your filthy hands offa me!' "I know he used to get really jealous of me when I would hit on Kagome," 'Grrr.' "but he's got temper problems anyway," 'I do not!' "And I remember Kagome used to always complain about him still being in love with that dead priestess Kikyou. So…" 'But, I uh…well…man.'

'Great…awkward silence. Maeko! Aren't you gonna tell this loser to leave you alone already?! OUCH! Quit dropping me!'

"Well, I guess I'll see you around Maeko," 'Yeah that's right, you better leave before I wake up.'

"Wait Koga-kun! Don't you want something to eat?" 'What?! Maeko you can't be serious!'

"Sure I'll stay for a bite," 'Grrrrr. Maeko! Do something! Make him leave! Aw! This stinks.'

***

Koga had just finished his second helping of Maeko's stew when Inuyasha opened his eyes.

"Inuyasha!" said Maeko as she happily threw her arms around him.

"Huh? Maeko?" he said as she squeezed his midriff. When she released him, he spotted Koga, who was giving him a blank look.

"What the hell are you still doin' here?" he said threateningly. Maeko took on a worried look and stood.

"Koga was just staying here to make sure I was safe until you woke up," Maeko was starting to get worried. Inuyasha had said what are you _still_ doing here. Could it be that he had heard their entire conversation? Maeko stifled a shudder.

"Oh yeah? Well then why'd ya keep calling him _Koga-kun_? You two gonna run off into the sunset or somethin'?" Maeko tried to keep from fainting. He had overheard her! Her face lost all it's color as she tried to think of something to say.

"Inuyasha, I uh…I was just, I," she stammered. She thanked the heavens for Koga when he intervened.

"Hey, that's not it at all. She just needed my help in getting you back to camp. And I can see why. You need to lose a few pounds, I nearly broke my back carrying you," Said Koga with his usual mischievous grin on his cocky face. Maeko couldn't help smiling a little.

"Mind your own business wolf boy. You don't have to worry about Maeko. She's got me and that's all she needs,"

Maeko's eyes lit up. 'Inuyasha?' she thought dreamily.

Koga held up his hands. "Alright, fine. You've made your point. I'm outa here," he turned to Maeko. "I'll see ya around. And if this mutt ever gets on your nerves, you know where to find me," he winked at her and ran off into the woods in a swirling cloud of dust. Maeko couldn't help but smile. Koga certainly could be sweet when he wanted to.

"Yeah right! Like she'd ever want to see your ugly face again! Just go ahead and stay gone!" Inuyasha yelled into the night air at nothing. Maeko sat down by the fire again and ladled some stew into a bowl for Inuyasha to eat.

"Inuyasha?" she said quietly. He turned with an angry look on his face.

"Yeah what is it?!" he said a little too harshly.

"I made some stew, you must be starving after being out so long," She said quietly. She smiled apologetically at him and offered the steaming bowl.

"Oh," Said Inuyasha as he came to his senses. "I…I'm sorry Maeko, I didn't mean to yell at you. I was just…it was just Koga gets on my nerves a lot," He scratched the back of his head nervously.

"I understand," Said Maeko sweetly. She offered him the bowl again and he took it gratefully.

As he ate, Maeko was contemplating how best to ask him about what he had heard her and Koga talking about. She decided to wait until he finished. When he had, she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Say, Inuyasha," She said nonchalantly.

"Yeah? What is it?" he said interested.

"You know when you were passed out, and Koga and I were talking, about…well, exactly how much did you hear?" she waited nervously for his answer.

"I heard everything. Maeko, why did you ask Koga about Kagome and me? Why didn't you just ask me?" he wasn't looking at her, but she could see his face had softened and his eyes were tender again.

"I, uh…well I don't know. I guess I just wasn't brave enough to ask you personally. But I should have, and I'm sorry,"

"So?" said Inuyasha. He was staring at her expectantly.

"So, what?" said Maeko. She was genuinely confused now.

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Ask you what?"

"Oh come on do I have ta spell it out for ya?!" said Inuyasha annoyed.

"Oh! Hehe…that. So…eh…how much _did_ you love each other?" said Maeko nervously.

"I loved Kagome more than anything else in the world. I know she cared a lot about me too because she was always worried about me,"

"What about Kikyou?" asked Maeko in a small voice. It seemed an invasive question, but it was too late to un-ask it now.

"Kikyou was my first love, but after I found out she'd died for the second time, I tried to forget about her. She was always the reason that Kagome and me never really were together, but that changed. I still miss Kagome, but it doesn't hurt quite so much as it used too," He said looking up at her. He smiled a little bit.

"Wh…why not?" asked Maeko. She was trembling and her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Because, I met you," Maeko gasped inwardly. He looked away but continued to speak to her. "When I met you, you opened a place in my heart that I swore I would never open again," Their eyes met. "You filled the gap and took away some of the pain,"

"Inuyasha…"she whispered. He looked away again.

"I know we'll get him this time. We'll get Naraku and finally complete the sacred jewel," His voice was filled with hope.

"What will we do after that?" asked Maeko, still trembling. Inuyasha looked at her with a slightly confused look.

"I don't know. But we'll be together. Whatever happens, we'll stay together,"

Maeko scooted closer to Inuyasha and leaned on his shoulder. As they watched the stars, a shooting-star cut the sky in half. Maeko closed her eyes and made a wish. When she opened them, Inuyasha's face was in front of hers. As he closed the distance between them, Maeko's wish came true with his kiss.

**^_^ yay! ok, i hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading :)**


End file.
